# Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement for Developing Homeport Facilities for Three Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States Pacific Fleet > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A97-596 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** January 10, 1997 - **Citation:** 62 FR 1441 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement for Developing Homeport Facilities for Three Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carriers in Support of the United States Pacific Fleet SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy announced its intent to prepare this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and open scoping in the Federal Register on December 3, 1996 and also mailed the announcement to interested parties. This notice is to announce the public scoping meetings. The scope of the proposed actions is to: (1) determine the appropriate home port for two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) that will replace two conventionally-powered aircraft carriers (CVs) that are currently homeported at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in the Naval Complex San Diego, CA, and (2) reevaluate the current location of one CVN homeport at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Everett in order to increase efficiency of support infrastructure, maintenance, and repair capabilities, to reduce costs, and to enhance crew quality of life. Decisions for facilities development need to be made as soon as possible to accommodate planned arrival schedules of the CVNs to the Pacific Fleet (one as early as 2001) and to gain infrastructure benefits prior to upcoming ship maintenance periods (commencing in 1999). There are three major U.S. areas of Navy concentration in the Pacific: San Diego, CA complex; Puget Sound, WA complex; and Pearl Harbor, HI complex. Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in the San Diego Naval Complex and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) Bremerton and NAVSTA Everett in the Pacific Northwest are currently designated as CVN home ports. All three locations will be considered as alternative locations for the proposed actions. Although not currently designated as a CVN home port, Pearl Harbor is capable of accommodating deep-draft ships and will also be evaluated as a potential home port. The EIS will analyze the potential environmental effects of the proposed actions at the alternative locations discussed above, including any associated facilities development and dredging, and other reasonable alternatives identified during the public scoping process. Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS include: geology, topography, and soils; dredging, hydrology, and water quality; pollution prevention; biology and natural resources; noise; air quality; land use; historic and archaeological resources; socioeconomics, schools, and housing; transportation/circulation/ parking; public facilities and recreation; safety and environmental health; aesthetics; utilities; and environmental justice. Issue analysis will include an evaluation of the direct, indirect, short- term, and cumulative impacts associated with the proposed actions. No decision to implement the proposed actions will be made until the NEPA process is complete. ADDRESSES: The Department of the Navy has initiated a scoping process for the purpose of determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying significant issues relative to these proposed actions. Public meetings to receive oral comments from the public will be held in the four primary areas of consideration (San Diego, CA; Bremerton, WA; Everett, WA; and Honolulu, HI). The dates and locations of these meetings are as follows: Bremerton, WA: February 3, 1996, 7:00 pm, Bremerton High School, 1500 13th Street, Bremerton, WA; Everett, WA: February 4, 1996, 7:00 pm, Snohomish County Administration/Courthouse Building, 3000 Rockefeller, Everett, WA; Pearl Harbor, HI: February 6, 1996, 7:00 pm, Farrington High School, 1564 North King Street, Honolulu, HI; Coronado, CA: February 11, 1996, 7:00 pm, Village Hall, Village Elementary School, 600 6th Street, Coronado, CA. These meetings will also be announced in local area newspapers. Navy representatives will be available at the scoping meetings to receive comments from the public regarding issues of concern. A brief presentation describing the proposed actions and the NEPA process will precede a request for public comments. It is important that federal, state, and local agencies, as well as interested organizations and individuals, take this opportunity to identify environmental concerns that they feel should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS. Oral comments will be limited to three minutes. Agencies and the public are invited and encouraged to provide written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the public meetings. To be most helpful, scoping comments should clearly describe specific issues or topics that the commenter believes the EIS should address. Written comments or questions regarding the scoping process and/or the EIS should be postmarked no later than February 28, 1997 and sent to the following address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dan Muslin (Code 03PL), Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190; telephone (619) 532-3403. Dated: Janaury 7, 1997. D.E. Koenig, LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 97-596 Filed 1-9-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A97-596. Public record. Not legal advice.